A method and apparatus for reducing or eliminating the formation of air pockets or voids in a flowable material provided in contact with at least one substrate. The flowable material is provided in a non-horizontal direction and flows from a lower portion to an upper portion. As a result, the flowable material is provided uniformly with a single, uniform flow front due to gravity acting thereon and gravity thereby substantially preventing voids and air pockets from forming in the flowable material. In one embodiment, the at least one substrate is provided in the cavity of a transfer mold in which the cavity is filled from a gate at a lower portion of the cavity to a vent at an upper portion of the cavity. In another embodiment, a bumped semiconductor device is attached to a substrate having a gap therebetween, in which the gap is oriented longitudinally perpendicular to a horizontal plane so that the flowable material may fill the gap in a vertical direction.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A transfer molding apparatus comprising: first and second members configured to be assembled with one another; at least one encapsulant restraining cavity formed in at least one of said the first and second members, the at least one cavity extending longitudinally in a non-horizontal orientation; at least one gate at a lower portion of the at least one cavity; at least one vent at an upper portion of the at least one cavity, and wherein the at least one cavity includes at least one surface with recesses formed therein, each of the recesses having an boundary wall that is sized and configured to substantially conformally receive a portion of one of a plurality of conductive structures protruding from a substrate positionable in the at least one cavity.
2. A transfer molding apparatus comprising: first and second members to be assembled with one another; at least one encapsulant restraining cavity formed in at least one of the first and second members, the at least one cavity extending longitudinally in a substantially vertical orientation; at least one gate at a lower portion of the at least one cavity; at least one vent at an upper portion of the at least one cavity, and wherein the at least one cavity includes at least one surface with recesses formed therein, each of the recesses defined by boundary wall that is sized and configured to substantially conformally receive a portion of one of a plurality of conductive structures protruding from a substrate positionable in the at least one cavity.
3. A transfer molding apparatus for molding a substrate in a substantially vertical orientation, the apparatus comprising: a first member and a second member configured to be assembled with one another, each of the first member and the second member having an inside surface and an outside surface; multiple encapsulant restraining cavities each formed in the inside surface of at least one of the first member and the second member, each of the multiple cavities sized and configured for the substrate to be disposed therein, the multiple cavities extending longitudinally in a non-horizontal orientation; at least one gate formed in any one of the first member and the second member extending from a lower portion of each of the multiple cavities; at least one vent formed in any one of the first member and the second member extending from an upper portion of each of the multiple cavities; and wherein at least one of the multiple cavities includes recesses formed in the inside surface on the at least one of the first member and the second member, each of the recesses defined by a boundary wall that is sized and configured to substantially conformally receive a portion of one of a plurality of conductive structures protruding from the substrate positionable in the at least one of the multiple cavities.
4. The transfer molding apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the multiple cavities are configured and longitudinally oriented to provide a substantially vertical flow for encapsulation of the substrate positionable in the multiple cavities.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cavity comprises a substantially vertically oriented cavity.
6. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one cavity is configured to provide a substantially vertical flow for encapsulation of a substrate positionable in the at least one cavity.
7. The transfer molding apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each of the multiple cavities comprises a substantially vertically oriented cavity.
8. The transfer molding apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each of the multiple cavities includes a longitudinal length substantially oriented along a substantially vertical orientation.
9. The transfer molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive structures comprise pillars or columns.
10. The transfer molding apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of conductive structures comprise pillars or columns.
11. The transfer molding apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of conductive structures comprise pillars or columns.
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August 30, 2001
March 8, 2005
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